For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4
Ever since I resired (resigned and retired) from being an elementary school principal, I have been blessed with morning time that I devote to reading devotionals. I’ve developed quite a routine: lighting a candle from my favorite local shop (Thank you, Karen), starting my electric fireplace (even in the summer months), making coffee with my favorite sugar and creamer (lots of sugar and creamer), and settling into my favorite chair in the room my husband dubs as The Hallmark Room (yes, I love Countdown to Christmas and make no apologies). I even built a barn door as one of my first pandemic projects to give my devo room a bit more privacy. I absolutely treasure this routine as I dive into my devotionals while developing a deeper relationship with God… a routine and relationship packed with HOPE.
I have read the same devo books since 2018. Yes, years later, the verbiage is familiar and comfortable. I find peace in reading familiar devopes based on God’s Word… peace and HOPE. By now, I have denoted connections across Bible verses, uncovered Greek and Hebrew definitions, and applied godly wisdom to my daily life from these devo readings. Yes, still years later, the wording is comfortable, but His Word is definitely NOT old. God continues to speak to me through these familiar words and verses. I uncover something new almost every time I read them. Words and verses packed with a ton of new insight and HOPE.
I know God is always speaking to me, especially when I am in my devo room. My relationship with Him has grown deeper as I sit in my room and soak Him into my soul… His Words, His Ways, and His Wisdom. As I have matured in my relationship with God, my faith has grown exponentially, along with my ability to understand that these devopes are not just for me. These devopes are for me to share. You see, there are times when God speaks to my heart through these devopes and places a specific person in my mind to share Him with.
When I first started sharing these devopes, I was hesitant as to how they would be received. Would the recipient wonder why in the world I was sending them a picture of the devope, followed by a few words of encouragement? Would the recipient block my number? Or… would there be no response to the message? NOPE… to all the above. Instead, the responses I receive always contain a positive response… sometimes an immediate phone call, most of the time a thank you, and frequently a response in the realm of “this came at the perfect time.” With God’s HOPE, it should not be a surprise that He shows up at the perfect time for the right person in a devope written specifically with that person in mind. God is NOT old!
As a matter of fact, God is working His power as I write this over the course of a few days. One recent devope mentioned blessings… how they can be categorized as an expression of God’s goodness and love toward us… His expression of HOPE. I could not have planned the timing of this devope any better… wait, I had nothing to do with it… God did. His Words and HOPE show up in the best place, at the best time… always. Arriving the same day, another devope, discussed how we sow our faith. Charles Stanley explains, “… the more you make decisions that honor the Lord, the more He reveals Himself to you and allows His life to flow through you.” God flows through us as we allow His Spirit to work in our lives… not in our power, but His supernatural power. Let me repeat: He reveals Himself to us as we allow Him to work in us. These devopes are vehicles for God to work through us, inspiring us with HOPE as we become increasingly devoted to His Word, Way, and Wisdom.
Hold onto your pantyhose because as I was wrapping up this message on the following day, God showed up in my Hallmark Room… again. Charles Stanley’s devope for this day revolved around believing in Him and focusing on His perfect and unfailing wisdom, power, character, and ability. Regardless of how things look, Dr. Stanley implores us in this devope to have faith that honors God, trusting that He means what He says and will accomplish what He promises… in His time. We must place our focus and HOPE in His perfect character, knowing that through patience and comfort (with strength) His Word was written for us to learn more about God, know more about His character, and develop a deep relationship with Him. After all, His Word was written for our learning, regardless of the day we read it. It was written for learning and sharing so that we have HOPE, while developing our patience and refining our comfort along the way, along with comforting others.
Yes, we can continuously learn from God’s Word to give us HOPE on an individual level. However, when we share His Word, we exponentially experience HOPE on a collective and supernatural level… a level that is out of this world. I can’t think of a better way to experience a devope than to share it with those people God places on our heart. Dive into His Word, infuse His wisdom in your soul, and share His HOPE with the people He places in your life… because: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
P.S. On the day I finalized this writing, God showed up once more. He planned, not just one, but two devotionals for someone who needed to hear both. These devopes arrived at the perfect time for the perfect person. Gotta love God and His timing! His Word NEVER gets old.